Front rod



Maich 22, 1927, 1,621,884

s. P. HULL FRONT ROD Filed April 11, 1924 27 2 2 y 1 A /z INVENTOR MM WM (5 mRNEY Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATS SAMUEL P. HULL, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

FRONT ROD.

Application filed April 11, 1924. Serial No. 705,808.

This invention relates to railway tracks more particularly to the switches and especially to what are known as front rods and lugs therefor- The principal object of this invention is to provide a front rod and connections to switch points such that in use there will be practically no opportunity for lost motion to develop and which will rigidly support the points so that they will stock rail and will facilitate the throwing and forcing of the switch point to its proper position by a decreased amount of force.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected by applicant to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features of the invention will particularly be pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a particular preferred physical embodiment of my invention, and wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a switch lay outwith my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, is a top plan detail view of my improved front rod and switch lug; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of my improved front rod and switch lug.

As is well understood by those skilled in the railway art it is essential that a switch point shall bear closely and firmly against the rail toward which it is thrown and that after having been thrown and locked it must remain in the proper position so that a wheel passing the switch point will have no chance whatsoever to enter between the rail and the switch point in case the switch point is thrown up against the rail. It is also well known to those skilled in the railway art that the ordinary lock rod connected to the front rod of a switch is pierced in two places and the hole therein is but very slightly larger than the plunger of the lock which must enter the hole when the switch is thrown to lock the switch in the thrown position, lock of the plunger look through the lock rod, it is necessary that the switch points be fit close up to the parts throughout the several so that in orderto be able to pass the in'perfect adjustment with no loose connecting parts whatsoever. It is also well known that in many types of switch rods there are bolts connecting the switch lug with the front rod and there is a slight turn-movement 011 these bolts due to the fact that the angle between the switch point and a front rod changes slightly as the switch is thrown from one side to the other as is well understood by those skilled in this art- This slight turning movement along with vibration causes wear and in time a looseness which at times is so excessive that the switch may be fully thrown but, due to the lost motion-in the front rod, the lock rod will not be properly positioned so that the lock plunger may enter the proper orifice therein so that it is necessary when such a switch is operated from an interlocking tower to send a man out on the ground and adjust the parts. Such a difficulty is realized by those skilled in this art to be very serious because if'the lock plunger cannot be thrown the signals controlling movements over the interlocked switch cannot be operated to move them to the safe position although the switch is in proper position to be passed over.

Applicants construction in particularly designed to obviate the well known defects hereinbefore pointed out and to be thrown and forced up against the stock rail in proper position for a train movement there over with considerable less exercise of phys ical force than with. the types now commonly used.

In Figure 1, numeral 1 indicates one rail and numeral 2 another rail of a trackway and 3 designates one switch point and at another switch point of a switch for guiding trains either along the main line or to the siding. These rails and switch points may be and are intended to be illustrated as of common and ordinary construction and are supported by ties as 5 and 6 in the usual and customary manner and the switch points are thrown by the ordinary and well known throw rod 7. L designates a plunger lock having a plunger 8 which is moved in the usual and well known manner as from an interlocking tower by any suitable form of connection and in one position of the switch is intended to pass through the orifice 9 and in another position of the switch is intended In the form of front rod. shown there is in sulating material 16 positioned between the ends of the two port ons oi the tront. rod

and between the tront rod and, plate 14; and 15 and there are insulating ferrules or sleeves as 17 surrounding the boltsv as 18 so that one part 12 of the front rod is sulated electrically from the otherpart 15$ ot'. the front rod. This term: of t-r-o t rod is shown as a preferred form but it to be understood that applicantls invention. isnot confined in itsuse to such. torm offront; rod: and it will be understood to-those skilled in the art as the description progresses, that the "essential.principle oi. applicants in vention is equally applicable to other usual forms offront nods sectional] ornon; sectional. 7

On c d of t from red, d s nated as a whole by F, is applicantsi n ved.

switch lug which servesto connect ends.

of the front rod to-the two points. as 35 and e of the switch Sl These lugs ar -identical;

in construction except that one is night hee e and the er leftha ded switch; lugs, as more clearly shown by Fig. 2, consi a p ra ity of plate l ke has s 8,20m d21 ese p ates Bret ra r o ed it msta 'e t P et ra lv Q rolled steel. The plates are parallel one to he-othe h g out h ir ent e length and each is bent intermediate end so as to wns gh a g e hr refere ieeteliia 3 it will be seen that. each, of the plates t n mote P ane S ha its lee a an angle one to the-other. Theplates are Suitably. fie as at 2ehl2 amt else at 2%, 25 and 26. One of the legs of a switch lug designated as a whole by M li es parallel v to and againstone sectionoif-v the front rod: and is attached thereto in any desirable or appropriate means as by rivets 27; passing h ug e. ri h nd 2, hr e co ip e ne orific s ter ed. n

the section as12;oft-he front rod; The-other leg of the switch: lug M} attached to a switch point as 3 as shown n F g 1; prefer,- y y l s e 8,. wh eh a e p sed through he r f c s. a 22 and: an

h ueh e resi hehne orifice in w tch point as 3.

The front rodconstructed a here n de:

cr e is practi a ly; equ elentn so w ener lised t9 elid rod as the connection: betwee the t e ections- 12 hi if h nt e may e made,

rigid and everlasting as though the front rod were made in one piece, that is, section 12 and 13, were one. The connections termed byriyets as .27 can be made so. firm and rigid that no action can possibly take place between section as 12 and a switch lug as M. There is; therefore, no opportunity for wear in, many of the common types of front rods which provide a means whereby the ang e between, a. front rod as F and a switch point as 3inay change as the switch point is ththirh ba k ee cillat g mot 1 e be t e t he it h l g t0 the f ee SQ- l- Eli a b ine no mo ion, be the parts in applicants construction there s 9 orrei h y' f r Wea and 'i no last when wi l e elop o pr a Swi h ,11 b i p o er y lock d after n secr tly t e e. App ant ons ee of s itc his- 1,1 1 hat t is flexibl n a h r z plane but pract a ly igi nweth :Pleh h he it h l g M as shown. in. Big. 2 may bend slightly in both directions as shown. by double arrow 29 but t rea ist cally meletely r s t or e ent ms to Q eet eaheh o th a e 3 w h a het en ei plane, ha i it ma n ains th fact that applicants switch lug: is rigid so re p eys-h QVQtWlI g of t e Switch Pain means-th t the w h poin at its 19- eee par es. he imnerta -P0r h w al.- ways Lie in the exact proper position.

&1; the pe tieul cons ruct on Shown by applican the fiea blity n a horizontal plane and the rig ty or inflexibility in a e ti al Plane has een obtai by et, i s-t ne he sw ch ng o pa l plat like members and introducinga bend intermediate the ends. This bend is intermedietche PQ'ints of attachment to the switch and to the rod, as 12. and particularly this horizontal. flexibility. centers in a vertical line bfltw een the corner 31: of the switch 3 and the rody 12 and is preferably as closely adjacent thecorner 31 as possible. Although he onstruction a ove set forth is pre ferred, itis: desiredto. have it understood that the principleunderlying the invention dQQS 10? llt g tti t exhibition thereof in other CQflfihlllQtlQIl, and does not exclude construetions ii -which the flexibility is obtained by such expedients as. reduces cross sectional argggat a part: or parts of the-switch lug.

The fact that applicants switch lug is ex ble: il v 01.1. plane,- gives it an advantage QVQ S l d f i h rod and solid switch lug Min applicants improved construction than with a solid front rod and solid lug rigidly at tached thereto of the prior construction. This advantage in favor of applicants construction means that a saving of about one hundred pounds is effected in the force re quired tothrow a switch.

Although I have particularly described the construction of one physical embodiment of my invention and explained the operation and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A switch lug formed of a plurality of stacked plates.

2. A switch lug formed of a plurality of plates bent intermediate their ends to form approximately a right angle.

3. A switch lug formed of a plurality of plates bent intermediate their ends to form approximately a right angle and one leg bent in another plane at an angle to the other leg.

4. A front rod for railway switch points including a rigid bar like member having fixedly attached at one end a switch lug formed of a plurality of parallel plates formed with two legs, one lying parallel to and attached to the bar like member and the other bent at approximately a right angle thereto for attachment to a switch point.

5. A front rod for a railway switch having two points including a rigid bar like member having fixedly attached at each end a switch lug formed of a plurality of parallel plates formed with two legs, one lying parallel to and attached to the bar like mem her and the other bent at approximately a right angle thereto for attachment to a switch point.

6. A front rod for a railway switch, in combination: two bar like members insulatingly attached end to end and switch lugs each formed of a plurality of plate like members formed with two legs one lying parallel to and attached to each free end of the bar like members and the other at ap-- proximately a right angle thereto for attachment to a switch point.

7. As an article of manufacture a flexible switch point lug formed of a plurality of parallel plates.

8. A front rod for a switch rigid in a vertical plane and having substantial flexibility in a horizontal plane.

9. A front rod for a switch formed with a bend and rigid in a vertical plane and flexible at the bend in a horizontal plane.

SAMUEL P. HULL. 

